The tech industry’s obsession with measurement and trend analysis, honed by Facebook to give the people what they want on their news feeds, seemed at first to be incompatible with an app based on art and creativity. But over the years, Facebook infused its ethos into Instagram. As Instagram became part of our culture, Facebook’s culture of measurement did too. The line between person and brand is blurring. The hustle for growth and relevance, backed by data, is now the drumbeat of modern life online. No matter what Instagram does with like counts, our communication has become more strategic.
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